This invention relates to an apparatus for the preparation of the wire leads of electronic components to adapt them for insertion into the holes or recesses of an electronic circuit board.
In the manufacture of electronic circuit board assemblies, electronic components such as capacitors, resistors, or similar devices having wire leads, must be prepared before insertion into the holes of the circuit board.
The preparation of the leads generally includes cutting them to a desired length, reversely bending their terminal portions and forming outwardly facing bends at their extremities.
The purpose of such preparation is to make possible positioning the leads at substantially the same height in the circuit board where they are frictionally maintained in the holes while being permanently soldered in place. Thus the electronic components are uniformly positioned in the circuit board in a manner where they will not be easily damaged.
Heretofore the preparation of the leads has been performed by hand, either during installation or beforehand by a preparer. Hand preparation of the leads is slow, requiring the utilization of a skilled worker and a variety of special hand tools.
In addition components having hand prepared leads lack uniformity. The leads are not precisely the same length and the outward facing bends at the extremities of the leads are placed at differing positions along the leads. Thus additional time must be expended when the leads are installed in the holes of the circuit board to uniformly align the components at the same distance above the circuit board.
Accordingly, the general object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for preparation of leads of electronic components to adapt them for insertion into the mounting holes of circuit boards.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus which prepares the leads in a single, sequential, timed step.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus which prepares the leads uniformly to allow installation of the components at an equal distance above the circuit board.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus which will not damage delicate components when preparing their leads.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus which is fast and uncomplicated in operation for use by an unskilled operator.